The Only Dragon (Alternative Ending)
by CatharsisoftheSoul
Summary: A rewrite of Dany's last scene in the show.


((Like a lot of people Thrones didn't end as I would have hoped, so I wanted to write my own ending. This a rewrite of Dany's final scene in the TV show.))

Ash had settled on the ground beneath her feet, in her hair, upon her clothes and now dusted the very thing she had been fighting for all this time. Daenerys Targaryen stood mesmerized before the Iron Throne. So much fighting, so much blood, so many impossible decisions had lead her here and she knew in her heart that her path had been the right one. The only one.

Now they had a chance for peace. The kingdoms would be united once again, under a ruler who was willing to do what it took to keep it. Not out of malice or a desire to control, but out of love for all of its people, from a yearning to protect them from further harm. Harm that could come from anywhere. It was not in the nature of the other kingdoms to leave a ruling power alone, and Dany would not wait for them to muster their forces against her. She would keep going until peace was guaranteed for all.

She turned from the very view she had been dreaming of for what felt like a lifetime, to see a shadow moving at the entrance to what used to be the hall. Jon.

He walked towards her and she smiled.

"I spent my childhood trying to imagine what a thousand swords looked like," she said. "I always thought it would be a mountain too high to climb."

"They're still killing people in the street," Jon cut in. "I was told it was on your orders."

Dany frowned. "Of course. It's necessary." The day was won, there were last minute tasks to take care of, admittedly, but the battle itself was over, why was Jon speaking of this now?

"Have you seen it yourself? Actually been down there with the children, little children, burned to death?"

"No," she said calmly. "I have not been down there. My place is up here. But what did you expect war to be like? There are casualties, Jon. Innocents die now in order for others to have a peaceful future. Surely you did not expect the end of all we have fought for to come easy? For there to be no sacrifices?"

"And Tyrion?"

"He betrayed me. It may have broken my heart, but I cannot allow a traitor to live. You know this, surely?"

"I've spoken to him. It was not the betrayal you think it was. He was trying to save everyone. To prevent these deaths."

As they had been talking they had moved steadily closer to one another. But now Dany hesitated. "You spoke to him?"

"Yes. His intentions were good, you must see that. He loves you, Dany."

"His love for me is his undoing. He believes that because he loves me he has the right to control me. When I do not act exactly as he wishes, he goes behind my back to manipulate my course of action. He loves me when I am weak. He loves me when he wants me to make decisions that would threaten my hold on the throne, my hold on my armies. He loves me so much that he hates to see me as I truly am."

"My Queen..." Dany raised a hand to silent Jon's protest.

"I was told that a girl could not rule. That they are too soft, too gentle, too timid, too emotional in their decisions. So I became what I must in order to sit in that chair. And now, the very people who wanted to see me there, turn away from me for doing what they know in their hearts was unavoidable. What any good ruler would have done. I wonder, if I were a man, would they act as shocked when I do not allow mercy to weaken me? Or would they accept it. Follow me dutifully?"

"I followed you," Jon said. He moved forward, closing the gap between them.

Dany fought the unwelcome instinct to step backwards. "I know," she said. "Be with me, Jon. Sit beside me whilst I rule over the Seven Kingdoms." The monarchs who came before her had their wives, why should she not have her husband? "We can bring a new future to our lands, together."

"You will, now and always, be my Queen," Jon said. Dany frowned at Jon's sombre tone. Jon didn't notice, he was already pulling her in for a kiss. It was a kiss to end all kisses. A kiss farewell.

Dany's hands clasped around Jon's closed fist, pushing it away from her body. She broke the kiss and looked down to see the dagger held in Jon's grip, aimed towards her heart. "Jon."

"I'm sorry." Jon's eyes were wide, tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Jon. Don't," Dany pleaded. Her hands shook as Jon pushed against her, inching the dagger closer to its target. Dany's breath hitched as the blade grazed her skin.

"This is the right thing. You've gone too far, Dany. I'm so sorry."

"You spoke to Tyrion." Suddenly Dany realised why she had wanted to move away from Jon. "He convinced you that you were wrong to trust me." She smiled sadly to herself. "He's good at talking people into doing things they would never have done on their own. Stop, Jon. You can still stop. It doesn't have to be like this. You can lay down your weapon. Bend the knee and I will forgive all that happened here today."

"Oh, Dany." Jon could have pushed her hands aside by now, but he was crippled by grief. It was all he could do to push the dagger an inch into her skin. "I'm so, so sorry."

A gust of warm air stirred the hair on both of their heads. Jon turned to his right. A monstrous head had appeared at the edge of what used to be the great hall**. **Drogon had come at the sound of distress in his mother's voice. His breath disturbed the ash beside them, as he observed the scene with his emotionless gaze.

Dany closed her eyes for a moment, swallowing down the lump in her throat. "So am I." She looked to Jon, all pleading gone. Grief would not cripple her.

"Dracarys."

Fire bathed over the two lovers, blinding Dany to everything but red. She could still feel her fingers around Jon's fist as the unrelenting torrent of the fire roared in her ears. It felt like she was trapped in that moment forever, but eventually Drogon subsided. Smoke rose all around her as her vision changed from red to black. She looked down at Jon's corpse. He may be Aegon Targaryen, but he was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.

Daenerys Targaryen turned away from her lover's body and, naked, surrounded by smoke and ash, took her place on the Iron Throne.


End file.
